The Philippine Navy鈥檚 former BRP Lake Caliraya. Photo from the PCG
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Philippines and the United States will sink a mock enemy ship off the coast of Laoag in Ilocos Norte, the northernmost mainland province in the country, which is relatively near Taiwan.
Col. Michael Logico, executive agent of this year鈥檚 Balikatan war games, said the coastal area in La Paz village was chosen to be the venue of the sinking exercise in May due to its strategic location.
鈥淭he west coast area in La Paz is the most suitable for an exercise of this magnitude,鈥� Logico said in a regular press conference in Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday.
鈥淚t requires a large space where we can do ground maneuvers for at least battalion-size strength, we have water, and it has easy access to the littorals,鈥� he also said.
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Logico, however, rejected claims that the drills would be conducted there with the Taiwan scenario in mind.
鈥淲ell you can interpret it anyway you want, but we consider Ilocos Norte as a prime strategic value 鈥� that鈥檚 all I can say,鈥� Logico said when asked if the Taiwan scenario was considered in choosing the venue.
Taiwan, a self-ruled democratic island which China regards as a聽renegade聽province subject to聽reunification, broke away from the mainland in 1949 following its takeover by聽Mao聽Zedong鈥檚 communist forces.
READ: Intruder in Balikatan sinking exercise turns out to be local aircraft
BRP Lake Caliraya, a decommissioned Navy vessel, will be used for this year鈥檚 sinking exercise.
In July 2023, the former BRP Lake Caliraya ran aground off Bataan, but an American contractor retrieved the ship to be used for this exercise. A day before it ran aground, it was supposed to be used as a mock target for a bilateral marine exercise of Manila and Washington, but the drills were canceled then due to inclement weather.
This is the second time the maritime sinking drills were conducted.
Last year, a decommissioned Navy corvette called BRP Pangasinan sank off San Antonio town in Zambales or 235 kilometers away from Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
The first sinking drills were successful, but the intruding local aircraft had caused a delay.